Large Scale Central

Annual INVASION OF FRIENDS 2017

Yes…There will be another “INVASION OF FRIENDS” THIS YEAR 2017.

As usual, it starts on a Thursday, and runs through to Monday >THURSDAY, JULY 13th, through MONDAY, JULY 17th

Information is available at: [email protected] or (613) 723-1911, if you haven’t been involved in past “Invasions”.

Information about the organizing group, is available at: www.ovgrs.org/

If anyone has an idea, when this annual event actually started; it would be nice to actually document it somewhere where the records won’t be lost.

If anyone can be “Blamed” for starting it; it would have to be KEN BRUNT, aided and abetted by several other partners in crime, like Ric Golding/Jan Golding, and the partnership of Bruce, and Jean Chandler, and of course, the “Canadian Federal Border Agency”…there are others, who must bear responsibility out there, but this list is getting rather long…!!

How long the Event will continue, is not for me to speculate on… For the last number of years; “The Finger Lakes Live Steamers”, have provided a great “Opportunity” to enjoy the experience of their many scaled layouts, on Monday, the last official day. We thank them for their friendship and generosity.

Fred Mills

Someday, Fred, I promise. Someday.

Ken Brunt was the original American visitor to Ottawa in '98.

The following year he brought Bart Salmons with him.

In 2001 it was Ric Golding that coined the phrase The American Invasion of Ottawa.

Somewhere in the 175 pages of the OVGRS website is a reference to the Blockhouse of that era.

It read, better to fill that blockhouse with beer, than gun powder and shot.

Steve Featherkile said:

Someday, Fred, I promise. Someday.

Ouch. Long drive or a long flight…sure hope you can make it soon.

Paul Norton said:

Ken Brunt was the original American visitor to Ottawa in '98.

The following year he brought Bart Salmons with him.

In 2001 it was Ric Golding that coined the phrase The American Invasion of Ottawa.

Somewhere in the 175 pages of the OVGRS website is a reference to the Blockhouse of that era.

It read, better to fill that blockhouse with beer, than gun powder and shot.

And it gets better every year. So, we can blame Ric for the name, eh? Jean and I didn’t show up until 2004 - but not until September; I remember reading Ric’s post about the event and decided we need to get there!

“So, we can blame Ric for the name, eh?”

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

We made the first trip in 2003, in our short time owed GMC Envoy. That was also the year we got our

bicycles stollen off the back of it in Ottawa. Some type of “Welcome to Canada” tradition, that Stew explained to me.

Anyway, glad to have contributed my little bit to International Diplomacy. And now, we do our best to head north every year.

Paul Norton said:

Ken Brunt was the original American visitor to Ottawa in '98.

The following year he brought Bart Salmons with him.

And on the whole drive up, Bart was flabbergasted. He never realized land could be that flat…:wink:

Ken Brunt said:

Paul Norton said:

Ken Brunt was the original American visitor to Ottawa in '98.

The following year he brought Bart Salmons with him.

And on the whole drive up, Bart was flabbergasted. He never realized land could be that flat…:wink:

Flat? You should see Eastern Washington, or Eastern Montana, or The Dakotas. You could play snooker. :wink:

Steve Featherkile said:

Ken Brunt said:

Paul Norton said:

Ken Brunt was the original American visitor to Ottawa in '98.

The following year he brought Bart Salmons with him.

And on the whole drive up, Bart was flabbergasted. He never realized land could be that flat…:wink:

Flat? You should see Eastern Washington, or Eastern Montana, or The Dakotas. You could play snooker. :wink:

Funny, I don’t remember the Dakotas being flat…

Now, Kansas is another story…

The thing I remember about my trip to Canada was how sparsely populated upstate NY was…until we came to Canada and it made upstate NY look crowded!. The other thing was that it was early September and the leaves were already changing…

For 19 or so years, we have been enjoying a get-together called various names, but generally “THE AMERICAN INVASION OF FRIENDS”.

19 years has been a long run, and has been great fun. Many many friendships have been made, and will continue. So many people have had one heck of a lot of fun, socializing, while operating the Ironwood Peter’s Pond and Western Railroad.

The whole gang, here in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; thank everyone who has shared in these “Invasions”. We are planning on keeping the railroad open and OPERATING for many more years, on Saturday mornings, during the Summer months. Visitors are always welcome.

This coming weekend will be the LAST official “Invasion”.

Fred Mills

Fred Mills, SOG said:

This coming weekend will be the LAST official “Invasion”.

Fred Mills

We shall see about that…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

If it truly is the last, then I am sorry to miss it, but extremely glad that I had the chance on more than one occasion to share the weekend with such great folks. If memory serves, we made it three years in a row, but can’t recall now that years they were.

Um, any reason why this year will be the last?

Greg

Fred said - “This coming weekend will be the LAST official “Invasion”.”

Greg, Fred has been saying this for the last couple of years, but Customs still lets us in.

Today, it hit me that it should all start tomorrow at Barry’s. Crap, this is starting to piss me off now.

Hope ya’ll have fun. Man, am I going to miss those egg rolls.

Greg; and others.

All great things must wind down sometime…

I’m getting tired, and not growing younger. The number of “Invaders” has dropped off, as age and medical problems take hold. Some who have come out in the past, don’t even respond to the requests on whether they will attend or not. Peoples’ lives and free time change. For some who might like to come, it is a rather long drive, even with the American Dollar worth $1.30 in Canada, it can be costly. A lot of Americans don’t even have a passport, so I’m finding out.

Sadly, even though we have major Canadian cities within 4 hours drive; we have never found any great interest from Canadian Large Scale railroaders, in the Great Weekend Operations we have had over the years. Few Canadians seem at all interested in OPERATIONS, preferring to just sit around watching trains run in circles.

Here in Ottawa, we have lots of interest, and we are never short of crew members every Saturday morning, without having to resort to open houses, or train shows to promote our “Non-Club”, the Ottawa Valley Garden Railroad Society. But, this city and all of Eastern Ontario, is a hive of “MODEL RAILROADERS” in all scales.

On a POSITIVE NOTE…

We will still be keeping in touch with our many friends. We are not closing down the railroad. All our friends, and new ones, are very welcome to come and visit. Just call and let us know when you are free to come and “Party”. We will still be operating every Saturday morning, weather permitting. Lunch will still be served around Noon on Saturdays. The bheer fridge is always stocked…water and soft drinks are in there too.

NO…we will NOT be hosting snow ploughing adventures or experimenting in snow sculpturing…

YES, Ken; you will always have a reservation for a room without charge, and your butt pail will be available…

Anyone else wanting to visit, is asked to kindly bring good weather with them. Part of being tired, is to be tired of facing a day or two of rain, just on the days of the Invasion. What do we do with 30-40 people if it rains all day…and then the food…

Fred Mills

Oh…I must point out that “The American Invasion of Friends” has not been a one person thing. I only really live on the property; the RAILROAD is kept running, and operating, by a great many Loyal, Generous, Hard Working, and VERY MUCH caring fellow Model Railroaders. They are the ones that deserve all the credit, for all the INVASIONS, and the fun that we all have had, and will continue having in the future.

Fred Mills

Ric Golding said:

Hope ya’ll have fun. Man, am I going to miss those egg rolls.

Iffen ya want, I’ll mail ya some…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

You will be missed, Ric. I’ll have to put up with Fred all by myself… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

Fred Mills, SOG said:

Ken; you will always have a reservation for a room without charge, and your butt pail will be available…

Is this how you pay-back for Ken having broken his toilet? He gets a pail? I hope you at least provide a seat and a plastic bag (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

Ken Brunt said:

Ric Golding said:

Hope ya’ll have fun. Man, am I going to miss those egg rolls.

Iffen ya want, I’ll mail ya some…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

You will be missed, Ric. I’ll have to put up with Fred all by myself… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

I don’t think you could get them through Customs. I think they would be confiscated.

Not that kind of Butt…!